FOUND: The Pool!

Inspired by Memsaab's charge to discover the location of The Room and its adjoining pool (Hotel Horizon!), I redoubled my efforts to find the location of The Pool. You know the one: it's in Rootha Na Karo (1970),Kahani Kismat Ki (1973),

Thanks to history fans At the Edge and Mumbai Paused—with extra big kisses to one of MP's friends who grew up near the location—we have tracked down The Pool to the Bharat Petroleum Colony in Chembur! (Or, as it is known in 1971's Elaan, Burmah-Shell, which the Shell website says was taken over by the government of India in 1976!)Which raises the question: which of the locations in this crazy film are at the Radio Club and Hotel Hiltop? Only time will tell!
Here is a screen cap from Wikimapia showing that if you zoom in far enough you can see the pool itself and, if my eyes do not deceive me, a shadow of the arch-shaped diving board!

Yahoo!!!! For more pictures and songs featuring The Pool—or That Pool, even—see Suzy's post from a few years ago. And look at her excellent find of a recent photo!
We are so having a party there.

To celebrate our discoveries and encourage more, I've started a public google map called Vintage Bollywood Locations in and around Bombay to which you are all encouraged to contribute! Add locations you know, even if the location has changed since it appeared in films, and update with as much information and as many images as you have. Next up for me: my favorite oval stairs and the most blinding entryway known to humankind.

And just for fun, here's a picture of Helen, Dev Anand, and Zeenat Aman posting by the diving board (via Karen).

Excellent work Beth! Although I am half thinking that this was simply a ruse to allow you to post that pic of Vinod Khanna in budgie smugglers and you have known the location of The Pool all along :) Temple

Dear Beth,Your site is a marvellous wonderful thing: in so many ways. It is a phenomenon that appeals to aesthetes and pacifists, multiculturalists and movie afficionados. Brilliant work!! Shabaash! (Slaps thighs and makes a smacking sound with lips while being surrounded by sycophantic wah! wah!s)Speaking of The Pool, have you seen Chris Smith's "The Pool". Another man who is soul brothers with you, I guess.Well, that's it, OkBaiii...